Admiral Brad Cooper told Israeli officials that renewing military strikes against Iran could pressure Tehran and shift its negotiating stance, according to a report. The push comes hours after the CENTCOM commander was said to have urged renewed strikes on Iranian infrastructure at an IDF forum.
Late Thursday, a new report said that US CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper told Israeli officials that renewing military strikes against Iran could pressure Tehran and shift its negotiating stance in nuclear talks. The development came hours after an earlier report at 20:56 Jerusalem in which Cooper urged renewed strikes on Iranian national infrastructure—including gas, oil, and electricity sites—at the IDF's senior operational forum.
At 20:56 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Cooper told the forum that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine agreed with his position, which had also been conveyed to President Donald Trump. That report was attributed to unnamed sources. The new report, also from unnamed sources, adds the rationale that renewed kinetic operations could serve as leverage within negotiations, not merely as a fallback if talks collapse.
The push comes amid a broader US military campaign in Iran that has continued for weeks. The Zioneer has reported on multiple waves of strikes, including a vow by Defense Secretary Hegseth on June 10 for "powerful and clear" strikes, and a sustained air campaign the following day. At the same time, President Trump has pursued diplomatic backchannels to bring Iran to the table, as The Zioneer reported on June 11.
Both reports remain based on unnamed sources and have not been independently corroborated. It is unclear how the reported leverage strategy would be implemented or whether it reflects a consensus within the US administration.
3 developments
- StrongCENTCOM issues fresh denial: Iran's claim of attacking U.S. Navy ships is false
- DevelopingCENTCOM chief: Strait of Hormuz strikes should stop if US not expanding Iran war, NYT reports
- DevelopingCENTCOM chief Cooper praises IDF, vows enduring US support at historic forum appearance
- DevelopingCENTCOM denies Iranian claims of US soldiers captured or killed
Source and signal
- Open-source intake